Struggling with the cost of your internet or phone service? ACCAN has put together a list of telco offers to help targeted groups stay connected.

As this list only shows offers for targeted groups, there may be alternative products and services out there for general consumers that meet your needs, so it’s also worth comparing plans. To do so, head to an online comparison site, such as WhistleOut or Finder. ACCAN has also prepared a money saving guide with tips to reduce your telco bill.

If you are unable to meet your bills and are in financial hardship, check out ACCAN’s hardship portal for more information on what you can do.

If you fall into one of the groups below, click through to see what help is available that may work for you:

Older people

Older people (NSW only)

Healthcare card holders

Pensioners Concession Card holders

University students

For Centrelink clients

Assistance through telco participating program partners

Distance education and home school students

Note: To the best of ACCAN’s knowledge, the information provided is correct as of 16/05/2022

Download:  What programs and offers are available to help you stay connected65.4 KB
Download:  What programs and offers are available to help you stay connected299.42 KB

Older people

10Mates

What is the offer?
10Mates offer a $10 discount per month on either NBN internet or internet and phone bundles.

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a pensioner’s card.

How to access the offer?
Apply online or over the phone.

Airtel

What is the offer?
Airtel offer a 17.5% discount on NBN internet service when bundled with VoIP telephone.

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a pensioner’s or healthcare card.

How to access the offer?
Apply online or over the phone.

 FLIP

What is the offer?
FLIP offer the following broadband offers:

• Save 11% on a Senior Value Plan for the first 6 months, typical evening speeds of 11 Mbps, with unlimited data.

• Save 3% on a Senior Premium Plan for the first 6 months, typical evening speeds of 23 Mbps, with unlimited data.

• Save 4% of a Senior Family Plan for the first 6 months, typical evening speeds of 48 Mbps, with unlimited data

Who is eligible?
Seniors Card, Pensioner Concession Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and Department of Veteran's Affairs Pensioner Concession Card Holders.

How to access the offer?
Apply online or over the phone.

Southern Phone 

What is the offer?
Southern Phone offers the following discounts:

• $10 off per month on standard, basic and fast nbn broadband plan fees for the first six months

• $30 off per month on ultrafast nbn broadband plan fees for the first six months

• A SIM only mobile plan for $10/month for the first six months, with unlimited standard national talk and text and 10GB of data

• SIM only plan for $5/month for the first three months, with unlimited standard national talk and text and no lock-in contract

• First 6 months for half price off the standard price of any Next Home Phone Plan, with a seniors discount of $5/month or $10/month for the ‘large’ plan.

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a Seniors card

How to access the offer?
Apply online or over the phone.

Aussie Broadband

What is the offer?
Aussie Broadband offer the following phone and internet plans for seniors:

• 12Mbps download speeds and 1Mbps upload speeds, 100GB of data, and pay as you go calls,* for $50/month
• 12Mbps download speeds and 1 Mbps upload speeds, Unlimited data, and pay as you go calls, for $55/month
• 12 Mbps download speeds and 1Mbps upload speeds, 100GB of data, and local, national and mobile calls included for $60/month
  
  

*Pay as you go calls cost 15c/min for local and national calls, 22c/min for Mobile calls.

Who is eligible?
Anyone over the age of 60

How to access the offer?
By phone.

Telstra

What is the offer?
$10 monthly discount on the Ultimate Voice Plan

Who is eligible?
Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card holders

How to access the offer?
Call Telstra on 13 22 00 

 

What is the offer?
A Home Phone Essential Plan for $27 per month for eligible customers, including unlimited local and national calls

Who is eligible?
Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card holders

How to access the offer?
Call Telstra on 13 22 00 

Older people (NSW only)

Pennytel

What is the offer?
Pennytel offer 10% off their Senior exclusive mobile phone plans, plus $10 credits:

• 1 GB of data, unlimited calls and text for $9.89 a month.
• 8GB of data unlimited calls and text for $17.99 a month.
• 18GB of data, unlimited calls and text for $22.49 a month.
  
  Note: Pennytel uses parts of Telstra’s 3G and 4G network.
  
  

Who is eligible?
Anyone with an NSW Seniors Card

How to access the offer?
Apply online or over the phone

 

 
Healthcare card holders

Airtel

What is the offer?
Airtel offer a 17.5% discount on NBN internet service when bundled with VoIP telephone.

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a pensioner’s or healthcare card.

How to access the offer?
Apply online or over the phone.

Telstra

Mobile

What is the offer?
The Value Mobile Offer is a $15/month recurring credit on the Extra Small $45 Mobile Plan, which will reduce the minimum monthly price of the Extra Small mobile plan to $30/month. Provides 2GB of data and standard national calls and text.

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a Pensioners Concession or Health Care Card

How to access the offer?
Via a Telstra Store or call 13 22 00 and ask for the $30 value mobile offer.

Home Phone

What is the offer?
A Home Phone Essential Plan for $27 per month for eligible customers, including unlimited local and national calls

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a Pensioner Concession or Health Care Card

How to access the offer?
Call Telstra on 13 22 00

What is the offer?
$10 monthly discount on the Ultimate Voice Plan

Who is eligible?
Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card holders

How to access the offer?
Call Telstra on 13 22 00 

Reduced billing and payment fees

What is the offer?
Certain fee exemptions such as paper bill fee, non-electronic payment fee, late payment fee.

Who is eligible?
Pensioner Concession or Health Care Card

How to access the offer?
Call Telstra on 13 22 00

 

Pensioners Concession Card holders

FLIP

What is the offer?

 FLIP offer the following broadband offers:

• Save 11% on a Senior Value Plan for the first 6 months, typical evening speeds of 11 Mbps, with unlimited data.

• Save 3% on a Senior Premium Plan for the first 6 months, typical evening speeds of 23 Mbps, with unlimited data.

• Save 4% of a Senior Family Plan for the first 6 months, typical evening speeds of 48 Mbps, with unlimited dat

Who is eligible?

Seniors Card, Pensioner Concession Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card and Department of Veteran's Affairs Pensioner Concession Card Holders.

How to access the offer?

Apply online or over the phone.

Telstra 

Mobile

What is the offer?

The Value Mobile Offer is a $15/month recurring credit on the Extra Small $45 Mobile Plan, which will reduce the minimum monthly price of the Extra Small mobile plan to $30/month. Provides 2GB of data and standard national calls and text.

Who is eligible?

Anyone with a Pensioners Concession or Health Care Card.

How to access the offer?

 Via the Telstra Store or call 13 22 00 and ask for the $30 value mobile offer.

Home Phone

What is the offer?
$10 discount on home phone lines only

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a Pensioners Concession Card

How to access the offer?
Apply over the phone, call 13 22 00
 

What is the offer?
A Home Phone Essential Plan for $27 per month for eligible customers, including unlimited local and national calls

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a Pensioner Concession or Health Care Card

How to access the offer?
Call Telstra on 13 22 00

What is the offer?
If you use your home phone more frequently, you can receive up to $15 call credit per mont on Telstra's Home Phone Local, Home Phone National and Home Phone Australia Ultimate Plans. 

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a Pensioner Concession or Health Care Card

How to access the offer?
Call Telstra on 1800 676 442

 

Reduced billing and payment fees

What is the offer?
Certain fee exemptions (paper bill fee, non-electronic payment fee, late payment fee)

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a Pensioner Concession or Health Care Card

How to access the offer?
Call Telstra on 13 22 00
 

 

University students

Circles Life

What is the offer?
Circles Life offer 20% off any mobile plan for 12 months.

Who is eligible?
Anyone with a university student email aged 18 or older.

How to access the offer?
Apply online.

 

For Centrelink clients 

Telstra

What is the assistance?
Ability to make fortnightly budget payments directly to your Telstra account from your Centrelink pension or benefit.

Who is eligible?
Centrelink client

How to access the assistance?
Centrelink – quote Telstra reference number 555-052-438-T

 

Assistance through telco participating program partners

Please note that the following offers and programs are not available by directly contacting the telco but are provided to clients by the partner organisations listed below.

Optus

What is the program?
Through Optus’ Donate Your Data program, recipients can receive a prepaid SIM with data plus unlimited calls and text every 42 days

Who is eligible?
Eligibility is decided by the program partners, including

• The Smith Family
• KARI Foundation
• Mission Australia
• ABCN
• yourtown
• The Salvation Army
• Story Factory
• Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation
  
  

How to access the program?
Access is gained through the program partners.

Start Broadband

What is the program?
Start Broadband provides a modem, internet and support for 2 years

Who is eligible?
Families with school age children who are currently disconnected.

How to access the program?
Access is gained through the program partners:

• Centacare
• Mission Australia
• Berry Street
• Uniting Connections,
• Mahogany Rise Primary School (Victoria).
  
  

 

Telstra

Bill payment voucher

What is the program?
Telstra bill assistance certificates to help individuals pay a fixed amount towards their Telstra bill.

Who is eligible?
For individuals experiencing a financial crisis.

How to access the program?
Access is via participating community agencies including:

• Anglicare Australia
• St Vincent de Paul Society
• The Salvation Army
• The Smith Family
• Foodbank Victoria
• Community information and support Victoria

 

Voice services

What is the program?

From 3 August 2021, local and national calls to standard fixed line numbers and calls to standard Australian mobiles on Telstra’s public payphones across Australia are now free.

For more information, click here.

The Telstra Calling Card Program has since been retired.

How to access the program?
Via any Telstra payphone  

Mobile

What is the program?
$40 mobile credit recharge 

Who is eligible?
Individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness, family violence, or impacted by natural disaster who are Telstra pre-paid mobile phone customers. 

How to access the program?
The program is available through Infoxchange to housing and family or domestic violence service providers, as well as community organisations providing emergency relief to people affected by natural disasters. 

 Fixed Phone service

What is the program?
A fixed phone service in short term crisis accommodation properties for people in crisis who seek emergency shelter. The service only allows incoming calls and outgoing calls restricted to triple zero.

Who is eligible?
Individuals staying with participating not-for-profit organisations and eligible charities who provide short term crisis accommodation.

How to access the program?
Via participating not for profit crisis accommodation organisations and eligible charities 

Mobile phone and credit

What is the program?
Safe Connections provides smartphones with pre-paid credit

Who is eligible?
Individuals receiving support from WESNET and partner agencies.

How to access the program?
Via WESNET who will distribute to partner agencies that work directly with clients impacted by domestic violence

 

Distance education and home school students

Families living rurally with children undergoing distance education can access a ‘Sky Muster Education Port’. This is a dedicated port for children’s learning, so they have access to the data they need. The port provides 50 GB of data per student, capped at 150 GB per Sky Muster Network Terminating Device. For more information on SkyMuster Education Ports go to the Regional Tech Hub.